Seafood to fall in love to .... Head chef of River House Restaurant shares Valentines recipes
Friday, February 12, 2016 : 11:11 AM
Seafood to fall in love to ……
Head Chef Alfie of River House Inverness shares his favourite seafood recipes with Fishbox!
Oysters
Oysters are thought to be the world’s best aphrodisiac, and at this time of year they are at their prime.
They are juicy, salty and a fantastic pre dinner dish. Below is my favourite oyster style.
Oysters with a shallot, red onion and white wine vinegar dressing.
Ingredients
6 oysters
2 shallots
1 small red onion
100 ml of white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method
So simple…
Finely chop the shallots and red onion, the finer the better. Place them in a bowl and cover with the vinegar and season. Mix together thoroughly and put a small amount into each oyster.
Lovely … great with a glass of bubbles to set the mood at the start of the night.
Crab on toast
I believe that crab is a really underused shellfish. Everyone loves scallops, mussels and langoustine, but seem to forget about crab! Crab is sweet and full of flavour and can make a fantastic starter like this…
Ingredients
1 small baguette cut into 6 diagonal slices
2 table spoons of olive oil
1 table spoon of mayonnaise
150 g of crab meat
1 red chilli .. deseeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Small bunch of coriander .. chopped
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method
1. Pre heat the oven to 200c or gas mark 6. Put the slices of baguette onto a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes until golden.
2. Whilst the baguettes are baking, mix the crab, lime juice, chilli and mayonnaise together. Season. Take the toasted baguettes out of the oven and spoon on the mixture. Sprinkle with the coriander … simple and sexy !
Baked Halibut with Romesco sauce and vegetable side
I love halibut. It’s a firm white fish which can be cooked in so many different ways and can be served with a number of sauces. That is why you can always find it on our River House menus.
Romesco sauce is a Venetian sauce and is fantastic with any white fish.
Ingredients
2 fillets of halibut about 180 - 200 grams
4 slices of lemon
2 sprigs of rosemary
4 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
½ a cauliflower broken into florets
½ a broccoli broken into florets
6 spring onions chopped roughly
1 thick slice of chunky bread ripped into chunks
1 red chilli .. deseeded if your are not a lover of heat
2 or 3 garlic gloves .. up to you
14 almonds .. washed and crushed
2 red peppers… trim the tops off and roughly chop into pieces
1 beef tomato
½ a table spoon of white wine vinegar
Method
1. Heat the oven to 200c, gas mark 6. Put each piece of fish onto a large piece of baking parchment and top with a couple of slices of lemon and a sprig of rosemary. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and a season. Fold the parchment paper over the top of the fish and scrunch up the ends to form a parcel.
2. Onto the oven tray place the 2 chopped red peppers and drizzle with extra olive oil and season. Put them in the oven for ten minutes to cook. Once they are cooked take them out and put the fish parcels on a tray and cook them for 15 minutes.
3. Whilst the peppers are cooking …. blanche your cauliflower and broccoli. Once blanched drain and leave to one side. Into a frying pan put two table spoons of oil and fry the bread along with the garlic and chilli, add the nuts, at the last minute and then pour the mixture into a food processor along with the peppers and the tomato. Add the vinegar and blitz until it forms a rough paste … Romesco sauce !
4. Add a little oil to the frying pan and heat, add your cauliflower and broccoli and cook for a few minutes before adding the spring onions, toss and serve into the middle of a plate. Take the fish out of the oven, remove from the parcel and serve on top of the vegetables. Serve the sauce in a side bowl.
As a serving suggestion a nice ice cold glass of Albarino or Picpoul de Pinet.
Fishbox proudly supplies fresh locally sourced seafood to River House.
Book a table at River House Restaurant to experience Alfie's amazing cooking and hospitality!
Call 01463 222033
We'd like to say thank you to Chef Alfie for sharing these recipes with Fishbox!
